Black-out switch



Dec. 19, 1944. J. J. DONOVAN BLACKOUT SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet l m, lnvenTor. Uohn U.Donovon Filed March 3, 1945 byWMW A'iTys.

Patented Dec. 19, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLACK-OUT SWITCH John J. Donovan, West Roxbury, Mass.

Application March 3, 1943, Serial No. 477,865

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches and especially to. switches designed to be used in connection with a door opening for the purpose of opening the switch automatically when the door is closed and closing the switch automatically when the door is opened.

It is intended that my improved switch shall be used in connection with the lighting system for the room to which the door opening leads and in such a way that when a door is opened, the switch will be automatically opened thereby eX-- tinguishing the lights in the lighting circuit, while when the door is closed the switch will be closed thus rendering the lighting circuit operative again.

While the invention is applicable in connection with any door opening for blackout purposes, yet it is especially useful in ships and other seagoing vessels that are operating under war time conditions which require that the ship shall operate with no lights showing, When used in connection with such vessels, my improved switch will be associated with any door opening or hatchway through which light might be projected and will operate to open the lighting circuit whenever the door or hatch cover is opened and to close the lighting circuit whenever the door or hatch cover is closed.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the drawings one embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary views illustrating my improved switch in connection with the hatch cover of a vessel, Fig. 1 showing the cover or door partially opened and Fig. 2 showing the door closed.

Fig. 3 is a side view of my improved switch with the cover plate removed.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 Fig. 4.

Fig.6 is a section on the line 6-6 Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line l-'l Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, l indicates a door opening or hatch opening, and 2 is a door or hatch for closing said opening I.

My improved switch, which is indicated generally at 3, is shown as being secured to the wall 4 of the door opening I and is so arranged that when the hatch or door 2 is closed as shown in Fig. 2, the switch will be closed, while as soon as the door is given an initial opening movement,

the switch will be opened. As stated above, this switch is intended to control the lighting circuit for the lights by which the room with which the door opening I communicates is lighted.

The switch herein shown comprises a casing 5 which is open on one side as shown at t and which is provided with a removable cover "I by which the open side 6 can be closed. Situated within the casing is a switch element indicated at 8, said element being of that known type which is provided with a pivoted handle or arm 9 by which the switch can be opened or closed, the construction being that when the arm 9 is in the full line position Fig. 3,'the switch will be opened, while during the movement of said arm into the dotted line position Fig. 3, the switch will be closed.

I 6! indicates the circuit wires leading to the switch, said wires passing through an opening II in one wall of the casing and being connected to terminals l2, l3 on a terminal block located within the casing. This terminal block has two other terminals BI, 62 which are electrically connected with the terminals I2, 13 and to which are secured the circuit connections l4, I5 leading to the switch 8. The terminal block fill with its terminals is readily accessible when the cover 1 is 'removed so that the connecting of the switch into the circuit involves merely the removal of the cover I and the threading of the circuit wires l0 through the opening H in the Wall of the casing and then connecting said circuit wires to the terminals l2, l3.

The switch 8 and the circuit connections I4, I 5 between the switch and the terminal block does not have to be disturbed when the circuit connections are to be made to the terminal block 60.

The switch is actuated by means of an actuating rod l6 which extends at right angles to the arm 9 and is secured thereto by means of a screw or other fastening device IT. This rod I6, which is movable in the direction of its length, extends through and beyond one wall of the casing, and it is acted upon by a spring l8 which normally holds it in its outward, open-switch position shown in full lines Fig. 3. This spring I8 is connected at one end to an eye l9 extending from the end of the rod In and at the other end is anchored to the casing as shown at 26.

The switch casing 5 is secured to the wall 4 of the opening I in some suitable way as by means of screws 2i and is so positioned that normally the outer end 22 of the rod it occupies a position in which it will be engaged by the door or hatch 2 during the final closing movement thereof so that such final closing movement will operate to move the rod IS in the direction of its length into its inward position and thereby throw the switch arm 9 from the full to the dotted line position and thus close the switch 8.

The switch element 8 may be secured in place in the casing 5 in any suitable way. As herein shown there is provided an anchoring plate 23 which is permanently attached as by welding to the back face of the casing and which is provided with a laterally extending flange 24, the outer edge of which is bent downwardly to form a retaining lip 25. The switch 8 is of the type which is formed with an exteriorly screwthre-aded neck 26, and the flange 24 is formed with an opening through which this neck extends. The switch is clamped to the flange 24 by means of a clamping nut 21 that is screwthreaded to the neck. The retaining lip 25 is constructed to partially overlie the outer face of the switch 8 thereby holding the switch firmly against the wall of the casing.

This anchoring plate 23 is also formed with a flange 28 through which the end of the rod 10 extends as shown in Fig. 6, said flange thus furnishing a bearing for the rod.

In order to provide a watertight connection at the point where the rod l extends through the wall of the casing, I have provided a sleeve 29 which is screw-threaded through the casing wall and through which the rod l0 slides. Screwthreaded to the inner end of this sleeve 29 is a collar 30 carrying suitable packing 3| to provide a tight joint with the rod l0. Slidably mounted on the rod is a sleeve 32 of a length to be engaged by the head of the screw ll when the switch is in open position, this sleeve forming a stop which limits the spring-impelled movement of the rod In connection with some doors and hatches of vessels, it is a common practice to provide means for tightening the door or hatch after it has been closed in order to seal the joint around the door or hatch opening. In order to provide for this, I propose to make the rod expansiole and contractible in the direction of its length so that after the hatch has been closed and the switch 3 thereby closed, the hatch may be given a further tightening movement without injury to the switch.

As herein shown the rod I5 is made in two sections, the main section 34 which extends through the wall of the casing and the outer section 33 that has a slight telescopic movement relative to the main section 34. The main section 34 is shown as provided at its outer end with a head 35 and mounted on the section 34 is an exteriorly screw-threaded sleeve 36. The outer section 33 is screw-threaded to this sleeve 36 and is provided with an interior chamber 31 in which is received a compression spring 38. The spring 38 is somewhat stiffer than the spring 18 so that when pressure is applied to the end of the rod IE to close the switch, the spring l8 rather than the spring 88 will yield. When, however, the hatch 2 has been closed and the switch 8 has been closed and it is desired to tighten the hatch by a further closing movement as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, then during such tightening the vessel is in port, and the blackout characteristics of the switch are not necessary.

The switch locking device is in the form of a plunger or latch 39 which is slidably mounted in a sleeve or retainer 40 screw-threaded through one end wall of the casing 5, the inner end of the latch being adapted to engage in a notch 48 with which the rod I6 is provided, thereby to lock the rod in its inward closed-switch position. This plunger is acted on by a spring 4! tending normally to move it inwardly, said spring being confined between a collar 42 that is screw-threaded to the inner end of the sleeve 40 and a washer Ol collar 43 on the plunger. The outer end of the plunger has a pin 44 extending transversely therethrough which is adapted to engage in either a shallow notch 45 formed in the end of the sleeve or retainer 40 or in a relatively deep notch 45 with which said sleeve or retainer is provided, these notches being spaced angularly from each other.

The plunger 39 is formed at its outer end with a thumbpiece 45a by which it may be manually manipulated, and when it is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with the pin 44 occupying the shallow notch 45, said plunger will be held in its inoperative position with its inner end 41 spaced from the inner end of the rod 16 so that the rod is free to move in either direction. Said rod I6 is formed in one side with a notch 48 with which the plunger 4'! is adapted to engage to lock the switch in its closed condition.

When it is desired to lock the switch closed, said actuating rod [6 is moved into the closedswitch position shown in Fig. 5, and the locking plunger 39 is manipulated to withdraw the pin 44 from the shallow notch 45, and then said plunger is turned about its axis to bring the pin 44 in line with the deeper notches 46. When the plunger is released, the expanding spring 4| will move it into the position shown in Fig. 5 in which position, the inner end of the plunger engages the shoulder 49 forming an end wall of the notch 48 thereby locking the rod I6 from outward movement and maintaining the switch 9 in its closed position.

I claim:

1. A blackout switch comprising a casing adapted to be attached to the wall of a door opening, a switch element within said casing, a switch-actuating rod connected to the switch and movable in the direction of its length to open or close the switch, a spring acting on said rod and normally holding it in open-switch position, said rod extending through and beyond the wall of the casing and when in open-switch position being situated to be engaged by the door for said opening during its final closing movement, whereby such final closing movement will actuate the rod and thus close the switch, said rod having a notch adjacent its inner end, a manually operable locking plunger extending at right angles to the rod, a spring acting on said plunger and urging it toward the rod, said plunger extending through the wall of the casing and being turnable about its axis and having a knob on its outer end by which it may be manually manipulated and also having a pin extendin laterally from its projecting end, a retainer on the outside of the casing through which the plunger extends, said retainer having two notches of difierent depths adapted to receive the pin, the relative depths of the notches being such that when the plunger is manually manipulated to place the pin in the shallow notch the plunger is held in inoperative position and out of contact with the rod, while when the plunger is manually manipulated to place the pin in the deeper notch the inner end of the plunger is in position to enter the notch of the rod and thus lock the latter in its closedswitch position.

2. A. blackout switch comprising a casing adapted to be attached to the wall of a door opening, a switch element within said casing, said switch element having a pivotally mounted arm by which it is opened and closed, a switch-actuating rod extending through the wall of the casing and having its inner end located within the casing and its outer end projecting beyond the casing, said rod being movable in the direction of its length, means connecting the pivotally mounted arm of the switch to the portion of the rod within the casing, a pulling spring located entirely within the casing and having one end connected to the inner end of the rod and the other end anchored to the casing, said spring normally holding the rod in open-switch position, the inner end of said rod having a notch and the outer end thereof being situated to be engaged by the door for said opening during its final closing movement, whereby such final closing movement will actuate the rod and thus close the switch, a manually operable locking plunger extending through the wall of the casing at right angles to the rod and having on its outer exposed end a knob by which it may be manually manipulated, a spring acting on the plunger and urging it toward the rod into operative position in which it is adapted to engage said notch, and a retainer for said plunger having means to hold it either in its operative position in engagement with the notch of the rod or in its inoperative position against the action of its spring in which position it is disengaged from the rod.

3. A blackout switch comprising a casing adapted to be attached to the wall of a door opening, a switch element within said casing, a switchactuating rod connected to the switch and movable in the direction of its length to open or close the switch, a spring acting on said rod and normally holding it in open-switch position, said rod extending through and beyond the wall of the casing and when in open-switch position being situated to be engaged by the door for said opening during its final closing movement, whereby such final closing movement will actuate the rod and thus close the switch, said rod having a shoulder adjacent its inner end, a. manually operable locking plunger extending through the wall of the casing and movable in the direction of its length, said plunger projecting beyond the casing and the projecting end providing means by which the plunger may be manually moved either into an operative position in which the inner end thereof is adapted to engage said shoulder and thereby lock the switch-actuating rod in its closed-switch position or into a retracted inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with said shoulder, and means adapted to retain the locking plunger in either of its two positions.

JOHN J. DONOVAN. 

